dust

1 of 2

noun

1
: fine particles of matter (as of earth)
2
: the particles into which something disintegrates
3
a
: something worthless
b
: a state of humiliation
4
a
: the earth especially as a place of burial
b
: the surface of the ground
5
a
: a cloud of dust
6
archaic : a single particle (as of earth)
7
British : refuse ready for collection
dustless adjective
dustlike adjective

dust

2 of 2

verb

dusted; dusting; dusts

transitive verb

1
archaic : to make dusty
2
: to make free of dust
dust the living room
3
a
: to sprinkle with fine particles
a cake dusted with sugar
b
: to sprinkle in the form of dust
4
: to throw a fastball close to (a batter) : brush back
often used with off
5
: to defeat badly (as in a race)

intransitive verb

1
of a bird : to work dust into the feathers
2
: to remove dust
3
: to give off dust

Examples of dust in a Sentence

Noun The floor was covered with dust. You can see the dust particles floating through the air. There is not a speck of dust in that house. As the car sped down the dirt road, it left a cloud of dust behind. He wiped the chalk dust off his hands. Verb I dust at least once a week. Dust the pan with flour. The crops will be dusted with pesticide.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Crayons, paint, glitter, wood shavings, Pepto Bismol dust .... whatever! Rasputin Todd, The Enquirer, 20 Oct. 2024 In these crashes, the reduced roadway visibility arose from conditions such as sun glare, fog, or airborne dust. Umar Shakir, The Verge, 18 Oct. 2024
Verb
The unassuming madeleines embody Xiao Ye’s eclectic, expansive ethos: delicate French pastries baked with mochi rice flour and masa, dusted in jalapeño powder. The Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appétit, 21 Oct. 2024 At dusk the clouds turned pink and the peaks of the Vilcanota mountain range softened, as if dusted with cocoa. Monisha Rajesh, Travel + Leisure, 20 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for dust 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dust.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English dūst; akin to Old High German tunst storm, and probably to Latin fumus smoke — more at fume

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1530, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dust was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near dust

Cite this Entry

“Dust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dust. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

dust

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: fine dry powdery particles (as of earth)
b
: a fine powder
2
: the powdery remains of bodies once alive
3
: something worthless
4
: the surface of the ground

dust

2 of 2 verb
1
: to make free of dust : brush or wipe away dust
dusted the living room
2
: to sprinkle with dust or as a dust
dust a pan with flour
dust insecticide on plants

More from Merriam-Webster on dust

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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